Historical Legacies: Identity and Secessionism in the Republic of Moldova PublicDeposited

Descriptions

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, many newly independent nations have suffered internal instability as a result of ethnically based regional independence initiatives. This paper seeks to determine the effect historical legacies have on the formation of ethnic identities and the shaping of secessionist movements, using the conflict between the Transnistria region and the Republic of Moldova as a case study. The paper adopts two traditions — constructivist theory of ethnic identity and materialist theoretical framework of secessionist mobilization — to explain the origins and dynamics of the Transnistrian conflict. In sum, Soviet policies of Russianization, Russification, and Sovietization successfully created a separate identity which was then exploited by regional elites. So far, regional actors such as the EU and OSCE have misdiagnosed the cause of the conflict, and thus have advocated ineffective solutions. Given that a similar situation is currently underway in Ukraine, it is critical that we understand the correct drivers behind ethnic conflict within the former Soviet Union.